Let me provoke you here a bit. I argue that Satan has ruled the Institutional Church (IC) from her early beginnings and I also believe he did not stop there. The devil even goes so far to draw those into his spider web of lies again who once would leave the institutional church system because they saw its serious shortcomings. And it does not seem to me that he has had great difficulties in doing so. Whoever does not preach the true gospel of Christ, but a mixed version that is more pleasing to the listener’s ear, has become deceived whether they know it or not. But alas, they do not know it. If they did, they would not be deceived, right? They could repent if God gave them eyes to see the truth. It is so saddening to observe when they are confronted with the truth, instead of repentance, false spirits rise up and manifest the spirit of antichrist aka the ‘instead-of-Christ-spirit’ as Michael Clark told me several times in the past. There is our old self’s nature, our fallen human nature, the flesh that always wants to be like God without obeying Him and His Spirit’s leading (cf. Gal 5:14). In his recent recent article Michael wrote,

Man loves to try to do the works of God, accumulate knowledge, know with his own mind, and imitate God instead of knowing God intimately with his heart and allowing God to conform him into the image of Christ by the plan and design of the Father. The fleshly state of fallen man still loves to eat the fruit of that same forbidden tree instead of Jesus, the Tree of Life (See John 6:51).

Religious man loves to collect Bible knowledge and knowledge of doctrines so he can decide for himself what is good and what is evil. He loves to heap to himself teachers that tickle his religious ears and to garner to himself degrees in theology. Yet, when the New Testament speaks of “knowing the Lord,” it speaks of an intimate knowing that goes much deeper than a mere accumulation of facts.

In fact, if the cross which makes us suffer with our loving Lord has not yet been applied daily in our lives, we will most certainly go astray since our old nature is NOT willing to submit to God’s painful chastening and stripping off of ALL our desires and wishes to do something for God and to be seen and approved by man. Apostle Paul warned us here as he said,

”See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Col 2:8-14 ESV)

We read that we need to have been filled with His Spirit so that He can rule over our lives with His authority. We need to have experienced this sometimes extremely (!) painful circumcision of the heart where the former submission of our soul to Satan has been cut off completely so that we were freed to let Christ live in us. Brothers and sisters, there is NO way to avoid the way of the cross! We cannot jump over the abyss of the darkness of our own hearts and find ourselves in His light. Actually, our old nature gets blinded and feels very uncomfortable in His light which is so pure that no human being can stand it. We need to be fully emptied of our own likes and dislikes in order to be able to serve the living God by letting Him do what HE wants to do. Therefore, we need to be DEAD first before Jesus can pour His resurrection LIFE into us.

Imagine, dear reader, that all things we did for God without having waited for His guidance will perish like everything else which was created. These works count for nothing in the eyes of God. Only these works that God made for us to do (see Eph 2:10) will survive forever, which means, they will be remembered. Just one example from the Bible that came to my mind. Today we know that Jesus was appointed The Judge over all mankind. Let us observe His judgement on earth for example here.

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mk 12:41-44 ESV)

Do we see the difference here? It is not about what or how much these rich people would give according to what the law or their own thoughts had told them. Instead, God who only sees the heart of man nudged this woman to give ALL she had. She was obedient to His voice and therefore Jesus approved of it. Today we can still read about it and remember this woman whom we never met. However, all these other things that were done for God were ignored by Jesus. Isn’t it amazing how different God’s judgment is from what we might be used to think? 🙄 As far as I have come to know our loving God, He always rewards our obedience immediately. For this very reason, I believe He gave this widow afterwards more money than she had before by speaking to the heart of someone else to bless her. But these are only my thoughts… 😉

In closing, I decided to add a poem below I had written about three years ago. At that time I was confronted with the observation how easy it is to go astray when you left the IC, which might have been God’s doing, and then you get more and more deceived by Satan without realizing it. I have been strongly tempted regarding these deceptions in my wilderness years, too. From hence, I do not judge anyone. But what I realize today is that we urgently need spiritual fellowship with brothers and sisters God gave us since we both need encouragement and correction from them whenever we miss God’s voice. Not that we can go to a meeting of believers and make any kind of fellowship or home church work as we see fit. Even if we think we were appointed by God to become a leader of others, we should not forget that the cross waits for all of us. If someone leads others and has not been crucified regarding their old nature, they will doubtlessly lead others astray. This is a great responsibility we need to face when we believe God has called us to minister others. Please, God, help us search our own hearts with the support of Your Holy Spirit here. Amen.

The Pilgrim’s Path

Men were as sheep who’d gone astray
All residents were on that way
Which seemed so easy, was so bright
As if God’s Heaven poured its light

Onto the earth from high above
But no – the dark or parts thereof
Created something similar
That birthed the hellish minister

A man who looked so fine and pure
That many thought, “A saint, for sure!”
He left the church for prophet’s call
And lost direction once for all

“How can this be?” might someone ask
“Why didn’t he fulfill his task?”
This story, oh, alas – it’s true
Could also speak of me and you

Please, be aware of Satan’s lie
Who says there’s nothing to deny
As long as you’re outside the crowd
“Awake, o man, lest you get proud!”

A pilgrim’s call will make it clear
We’ll share His disgrace in the rear
Of those who stand tall on their feet
And sit with comfort in their seat

It’s not our job to shout them down
Who show a shake of head or frown
Whenever we stand up and claim
To be His mouthpiece – that is vain

We ought to give our best for those
Who do not know our Lord that close
Instead, if one demands our life
We’ll leave it for Him without strife.

A prophet who is truly sent
Will as a pilgrim, not a gent
Love everyone who walks his way
And thus exhale our Lord’s bouquet

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34 thoughts on “Before the thunderstorm…”

Oh. My!! Your poem stung the parts I read of my own life and heart. Thank you. May He reveal Himself and His love in us more and more. We are no greater. The earth at the foot of the cross is level ground.

Susanne, this is a very timely warning for Christians, today. I just went through an experience with a younger brother in Christ in which God used him to expose to me my being judgmental toward a couple of people in the restaurant where we met. After he humbly showed me what I was doing I commended him for it. The interesting thing was that a couple days later we were in another restaurant together and a man walked in that was his ex-pastor who had since been shot six times by a young man in his church parking lot. This made the news all around the world. Well, that pastor is now crippled for life. I mentioned to my brother that I wondered if that experience had changed that pastor and made him humbler and more in tune with Christ. To this my brother only grumbled his displeasure at seeing the guy.

A New Testament warning comes to mind as I read your article, “Take heed when you think you stand, least you should fall.” There is a part of the antichrist spirit, “instead of Christ,” we might find working in us if Jesus opens our eyes. God gave all judgement to Christ and we shall each stand before Him in that day, BUT how often do WE want to be the judge in the life of another brother or sister instead of Christ? Ouch! “We have found the enemy and he is US!”

You quoted, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit.” Philosophy speaks of teachings and empty deceit speaks of pride. Many of us have come out of a church system that became obviously false to us in its proud ways of preaching “another gospel,” AFTER that leadership abused US! The problem is that the pride we sat under that poured out of these false teachers with their messages and the abuse we suffered because of their arrogant ways, got into us! We often have rejected their false teachings only to go out from them with our pride intact. We might have since establish ourselves in another teaching that is “more biblical,” but because pride is still in our hearts, even the most biblical teachings will be defiled because we lack the spiritual humility that can only be found IN Christ. In short, we cannot avoid the need of the cross working its pride-killing death within us if we are to avoid becoming more of the same, adding to the problem. God will always oppose the proud, but gives the power of His grace to the humble, i.e., those who walk in the flesh-denying humility of Christ. One more verse comes to mind…

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” (Gal 6:1, ESV2011)

God might show us in the Spirit what is wrong in the life of another, and we might even try and restore them in His gentleness, but what comes next? If there is any pride in us, we will start to think of ourselves as better than the one corrected and this is where Satan comes in, tempting us once again with pride.

We really DO need one another in the fellowship of Christ’s Spirit not only loving one another with His love, but shedding His Light by His Spirit on all that is still darkness within us.

Thank you again, dear sister. You are a wonderful blessing to me as Christ shines forth from your heart.

You are very welcome, Michael. Your are such a great blessing to me, too. I am always grateful both for your encouragement and your cautious correction of my errors (not only my typos).

I know that pride is that which always kept me from seeking correction from others. It is much easier to be a loner and to hope we might figure it all out by ourselves. But if we really want to walk in the light as He is in the light, there is no way but to expose one’s inner darkness to one another. Isn’t it a freeing experience when we have done so and may experience afterwards the grace and glory of God because of having humbled ourselves that way?

I recall this shocking occurrence where this pastor was shot. It is so very sad to hear that he is crippled for life now. 😦 May God lift up his spirit and draw him close to HIS heart!

As for being judgmental, I think our old nature judges all the time (often wrongly). What helps us here is only seeing ourselves exposed in His light as the worst sinners of all (as ‘wretched (wo)men’). In His Spirit then our natural judgment should turn into discerning of the spirits, instead. As you said, Michael, we must be cautious to not think too highly of ourselves and if God tells us to restore someone in His love, we must be very careful to not fall into sin ourselves. These two experiences you shared regarding this younger brother reminded me of my observation that it is often times easier to be friendly with strangers than with those who did us wrong. In fact, the ability to forgive wholeheartedly can be found at the end of this long process of sanctification, but not at its very beginning.

Thank you for being you, Michael! Your comment was very deep, honest, and encouraging for me to read. Thanks again. 🙂

Dear Susanne, I think that caution in correcting others is not all that hard when we love them more than we love ourselves. I am reminded that Paul wrote a very corrective letter in First Corinthians, but he started out with this statement,

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,” (1Cor 2:1-3, ESV2011)

I am still learning in my heart the meaning of these three verses after first reading it in 1970! Oh, the depth of the wisdom of Christ and how long it takes for us to grow into it.

Susanne, every time I tried to correct anyone from MY OWN wisdom, it has rightly blown up in my face. 🙂 But when we simply abide IN Christ and let His Spirit lead us in His love, He does the correcting in HIS timing. Instead of our pride getting involved we find ourselves as Paul in these situation with much weakness and trembling. It is never a fun thing to be used this way when we are walking in HIS humility, but He makes it happen perfectly and the other person feels His love through us.

Thanks for being you, Susanne! Walking in His Spirit with you has been a wonderful growing experience IN Christ.
Michael

Yes, we have an up-and-down-and-in-between-God because He is omnipresent.

Boy, that made me grin, Michael… 😀
On my prayer walk today I wondered why God showed me the number 13 several times. This has been no number I could relate to in any way since # 13 means “apostasy; depravity and rebellion” (see Biblical Numerics – God Counts). As I had asked Him about it (not only once), no answer. But now I see… 😉 1 Corinthians 13:13 !!!!!! 🙂 God is so unpredictable, isn’t He…?

Wow!!! YES! His love for and in us is what will hold us together IN Christ, Not doctrine, not church membership, not politics, not nationality, etc. These things will all pass away, but what is bound together by His love will live on together eternally. Just as Jesus prayed,

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:22-26, NIV)

Dear Susanne, this is what we are growing into… the love, glory and unity of the Father and the Son. What an amazing experience this is!
1 ❤ 1 ❤ 1 ❤ 1

Hahaha again… Michael…that was NO coincidence that we both saw (your) today (my yesterday) these four ones united, you as you checked your clock at 11:11 and me as I saw a keyboard with many tagged keys standing on a truck’s passenger seat on my prayer walk. There was only one tag I could decipher without reading glasses and it showed the number 1111! 🙂

Another funny thing is that I just read (my) today’s TAS devotional from March 11 where which Scripture is quoted? Guess what? 😉

March 11

…That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You. (John 17:21)

This is amazing! Even TAS joined in the witness of the Lord about the unity that He has for us to walk in which Jesus prayed would happen in John 17:21
Jesus = 1, Father = 1, Susanne = 1, Michael = 1…1 1 1 1
That they ALL might be ONE… So many witnesses to the four ones today after I have been praying about John 17:21 for the last five (grace) years that it would come to pass. Something tells me, dear sister with whom I am one, that God is about to open up a greater revelation of what it means to walk together in the fullness of His Son. What an answer to pray our fellowship in Jesus and the Father has been, and the best is yet to come!

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm.” (Isa 60:1-4, NIV)

Yesss!! TAS as another witness, even from the cloud of witnesses who already lives fully in the heavenlies. Thanks for this Scripture, Michael! 💖 God gave it to me when I had just come to know Jesus on…. wait a moment…. HOLY MOLY!!!! 🕊 on March 11, 1995…. Ha!! 😅 Today is my spiritual birthday, my 22nd…. AND….. hold on tight, brotha, # 22 means LIGHT! 👀👍🕎🕯💡😇 That blows me away… God is so good AND funny!!! 😂

Wow, wow,wow!!! Happy Birthday, my wonderful sister! What a miracle you are! Truly that passage from Isaiah 61 was for you. Arise and shine forth for the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 😇🕎🕯💡🌞😇
IN Christ we have so much to look forward to!💖 IN Him for all eternity.

As we continue to walk in the Light of the Father and the Son, represented by all these 1111 verifications, we will not soon be shaken no matter what comes at us in this life. Our lives are IN Christ in heavenly places and out of reach of the wicked one as we abide in Him. Looking unto Jesus who is the Author and the FINISHER of our faith… never looking unto this world. Happy eternal birthday, dear heart. ❤

Thanks a bunch for your encouraging words, dear Michael. Indeed, God’s plan for today (honestly, I anticipated it before) was different from what my heart had hoped for. No joy, but deep heart pains. Nonetheless, I know He is with me in my suffering also.

Actually, our old nature gets blinded and feels very uncomfortable in His light which is so pure that no human being can stand it.
Susanne! I will read the rest in a moment, but this suddenly reminded me that no one can see God and live…
Of course! If we see God, our flesh dies. There is no alternative, we must be born again before we can see anything as it is. Scriptures are flying into my brain!

Your spontaneous words made me smile, dear Louise! ❤ Such a sweet comment by you, thank you so much! 🙂

Isn’t it strange that I had the same Scripture on my mind while writing this post? And I thought since God is Spirit, our spiritual eyes of the heart must be fully enlightened before we can see Him as He really is.

It is no surprise that the enemy comes to test our resolve after God give us great hope in His promises. The Spirit prompted me this morning to carefully read the March 11 “Open Windows” and as usual, it spoke to what the Father is doing in our lives… getting us to only live by EVERY word that proceeds from His mouth for us and not by how things seem to be in our current situation.

…That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You. (John 17:21)

“What, then, is union with Christ? It is union with Him as the new creation, as the new creation Man; union with Him in the Life which is the life of the new creation by the Spirit of Life. What is the meaning of that union? …It is not a matter of action, or of undertaking for God, however well intentioned. What we see as seeming necessary to be done for the Lord’s glory [or for any reasoning that comes out from us] is not the criterion of service. Many things are embarked upon by the mere simple… judgment of the heart, when confronted by what is judged… something needing to be done. A tragic situation, for example, calls for action; we have the means to meet that situation, and so we embark upon it… A vast variety of undertakings have been embarked upon in that way, from that basis, and the Lord Jesus in this chapter says, “No! Not so!” He is not governed by the apparent demand of a situation. He is not governed by the impact of things upon Himself…

“With Him it is a question of what God is doing, and doing just at the particular time. With one object, God does different things at different times, and has a different emphasis from time to time, and those who are really in union with Christ have to be governed by that which Christ at that particular time is Himself undertaking, is giving Himself to: “…what things soever He doeth these the Son also doeth in like manner.” It is a matter of what God is doing, and life-union with Him in Christ for the accomplishment of that.”

Boy, does this speak to me! How often I have embarked on a big project just because the financial numbers looked good or because it looked like God’s blessing was in it because things were lining up and coming together. But once I was committed well into it, not all that seemed right, turned out all right! Like my dear wife often says, “Act in haste, repent at leisure.” How important it is to wait on the Lord for HIS confirmation and action. I am reminded of King Saul who acted out of anxiety just because Samuel did not get their place of meeting as quickly as he wanted and he feared that the people would get bored and turn away from him. So he took things into His own hands and offered up the sacrifice that only the priest, was to do. His self-will and disobedience caused him to lose His kingship and eventually his life. I am glad that because of Jesus being our advocate before the Father we do not have to pay such a heavy price as we blow it as He patiently teaches us.

Learning to live by every word that Daddy says to us through the Spirit (even in the smallest things during each day) and praying for one another along this path has been a wonderful experience, Susanne. Thank you for being who you are IN Him.
1111 🙂

As you know I read this devotional before, Michael, and it is really very good. But what struck me in your reply above were your own words. You wrote,

“[L]ive by EVERY word that proceeds from His mouth for us and not by how things seem to be in our current situation.”

This is exactly what I needed to hear today as my circumstances try to weigh down on me, again and again. Thanks, Michael! Yes, let us try to wait more often on Him AND His confirmation about what to do and what to omit. Alas, our old nature is not that patient, is it…

“Brothers and sisters, there is NO way to avoid the way of the cross! We cannot jump over the abyss of the darkness of our own hearts and find ourselves in His light.”

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit.”

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I hate pain, whatever form it takes. So I’d gladly avoid the cross, if I could. But there is no way around crucifixion. Nonetheless, I’ve concluded that God must be the One to convey this wisdom in His perfect time.

God can use even horrific circumstances to some good — if nothing else, to mold the character of the sufferer. It is nearly impossible for non-believers to entertain that possibility. Even believers may doubt it, clinging to God in their suffering out of love and trust.

As for the snares of philosophy, read any history of the Reformation. The role politics, personal ambition, and individual interests played is stunning. Nor should be delude ourselves that such things would not occur in our day.

I am like you, Anna. I do hate pain in any form, be that physical or mental pain, or suffering through the cross in my own spirit which causes a dryness and sadness which makes me wonder whether people who are no Christians might feel much better most of the time. Telling God about this, I heard, “Those who mourn will be be comforted.” So I wait…

When I suffer and God asks me whether I love and trust Him, I look into my own heart and need to admit, “Well, you know, I cannot love nor trust you unless you change me.” And so, even here I need to wait on Him to give me a new heart after His design. As long as there is an uncrucified old nature that rules us, a real reformation or revival, even in our days, will be impossible since, as you so well said, personal ambitionand individual interests (the flesh) are always opposed to the will of the Spirit of God. And so, although this world and religion(s) seem to have changed on the outside over time, the heart of the matter is always the same because there is still darkness in the hearts of men.

As I read your quote about those who mourn being comforted, Susanne, I also heard Jesus saying,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27, ESV2011)

“Not as the world give peace…” The world’s peace is totally determined by our circumstances. My precious sister, I know that you have had Jesus come right into your worst situations in the past and lift you up into His heavenly peace as He held you on His lap with His arms around you. Your situation did not change right away, but your troubled heart did. You were comforted in a way that no change of mere circumstances could. I am praying for this to happen once again and that His faith in a heavenly outcome regarding these troubles will soon flood your heart. ❤

Dear Anna, You put your finger right on why revivals do not last and why “the Great Reformation” failed to reform the Church, but rather formed hundreds of schisms, each group gathered around a charismatic figure instead of Christ. I learned a lot from being part of the “Jesus People” revival that swept the youth of the nation in the early 70’s. God does something miraculous in the hearts of people and His power is demonstrated. The problem is that proud and greedy men and women are attracted to power. It is not long that those who love the preeminence rise up over these new believers by exercising their soulish powers of intellect and emotional appeal and it is not long until THEIR wills are put forth as being God’s will. When the flesh (mind, will and emotions) takes center stage, the Holy Spirit leaves and His power is soon replaced by human soul power. As Lord Acton of England correctly observed, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Because of this human flaw we have inherited from Adam God’s only remedy is the flesh killing cross of Christ working life and humility in us. It is in this fact we start to understand (and discern) the nature of true spiritual leaders in the work of God who can rightfully say with Paul,

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom [or charisma] of men, but in the power of God. (1Cor 2:1-5, KJ2000)

“Death works in me that LIFE (the life of Christ) might abound in others.”

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“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
(John 3:16-17 ESV)

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